The eagerly-anticipated trailer for new Godzilla vs Kong trailer going big.
Hollywood has a proud history of versus matches, but they've often been underwhelming; think Batman Vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice, in which the title bout took only a few minutes after an entire movie's setup.The Godzilla Vs. Kong trailer promises non-stop battles between the two Titans, however, as well as an examination of the mythology underpinning them. If it lives up to this promise, it should be a classic.
The MonsterVerse has moved at a slower pace than other shared universes, with just four films set in it over the last six years; contrast that with the MCU, which can put out four blockbusters a year. As a result, viewers can be forgiven for having forgotten some of the details. Here's our full list of Easter eggs from the Godzilla vs. Kong trailer.
25. Godzilla Attacks A City
The first section of the Godzilla vs. Kong trailer serves to set up the conflict. The opening scenes show what is clearly supposed to be a Godzilla attack upon a city, with military forces fruitlessly attempting to defend it, and civilians fleeing into the subways to hide. It's difficult to say exactly where in the world this is, but some of the architecture is reminiscent of South America. Later shots in the trailer will establish this is not an isolated incident, but is rather one of many Godzilla attacks. The conventional military are useless against Godzilla's might, and all human beings can do is run. But there's also the suggestion that this is actually a Mechagodzilla attack disguised as Godzilla and orchestrated by a nefarious human element.
24. Monarch Scramble Kong As Their "Only Chance"
A voice-over reveals Monarch has just one strategy left; to deploy Kong as a weapon against Godzilla. In truth, Monarch has learned from bitter experience only a Titan can stop another Titan; they'd previously trusted in Godzilla to serve as humanity's protector, but now they need a defense against him instead. An earlier teaser used some of this footage, with a different voice-over suggesting Kong is being used as bait. The aircraft carrier he's held on presumably belongs to Monarch, who were established as possessing a Navy of sorts as far back as Godzilla in 2014.
23. Introducing Eiza González's Character, Maya Simmons
Monarch's Kong mission appears to be headed by Eiza González's mysterious new character, Maya Simmons. Little is known about Maya Simmons, although González has suggested she's a main character. "My Godzilla schedule was very demanding," she told The Hollywood Reporter, "I’m in the whole film." Demian Bichir has been cast as Walter Simmons, which presumably means he's related to Eiza's character; the MonsterVerse has regularly featured family subplots in order to create a strong sense of human drama to the spectacle.
22. King Kong In Chains Again As A Reluctant Monarch Captive
Kong appears to be a somewhat unwilling participant in Monarch's mission, with Kong, the great ape, held in chains and shown looking mournfully at them. It's interesting to note Monarch possessed chains that could apparently hold a Titan, suggesting they've become a lot more used to dealing with such creatures over the years; that said, Kong may not be especially motivated to kick up a fuss, given he's hardly in his environment at sea. This shot naturally raises the question of just how Monarch captured Kong in the first place - and the Godzilla Vs. Kong trailer moves on to answer that.
21. Alexander Skarsgård's Nathan Ling Says The World Needs Kong
There's a brief glimpse of Alexander Skarsgård's character, a man named Nathan Lind, who appears to be one of Monarch's leaders; set photos have given a more complete view of the jumpsuit he wears at points in the film, and the shoulders are emblazoned with the logo for Monarch. Skarsgård is no stranger to military roles, and he signed up for Godzilla Vs. Kong because he felt like taking a break from darker, more intense films. Here, he explains just how desperate a situation the world is in; Monarch clearly believes Kong to be its last chance against Godzilla.
20. Monarch's Fleet Kong In His Titanic Fight
The Monarch fleet is reinforced by fighter jets, suggesting humanity doesn't intend to simply sit this one out and watch. Rather, this desperate Hail Mary is envisioned as an alliance between King Kong and the world's armed forces, with the sole goal of ending the threat of Godzilla. An alliance of sorts was the logical end-point of the MonsterVerse to date, although granted it's surprising to see it going up against Godzilla, who has traditionally served as another protector figure.
19. Kong's Motives Explained
The MonsterVerse has always tried to treat its CGI stars as characters in their own rights, and as a result, the Godzilla vs. Kong trailer spends quite a bit of time setting up Kong's motives for the fight. He appears to be acting out of comion, having formed a strong emotional bond with a girl on Skull Island, and Monarch used this girl to help capture him. The child is shown presenting a doll to Kong, and voice-overs reveal she is the only one Kong will actually communicate with. It's currently unclear who this girl is, or how she developed such a bond with Kong; given this is set up in the first act, future teasers and trailers will probably answer this question.
18. Kong As A Protective God
The first section of the Godzilla Vs. Kong trailer builds to a climax in a powerful scene in which the girl reaches out to touch Kong's finger. The image is reminiscent of Michelangelo Buonarroti’s painting of God and Adam on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel and suggests this child worships Kong as a protective god. Appropriately enough, that is indeed the role humanity hopes Kong will perform on their behalf by defeating Godzilla.
17. Godzilla Attacks The Monarch Fleet
Godzilla arrives on the scene in style, tearing through one of the Monarch ships with his dorsal fins. The shot contrasts markedly with a scene in 2014's Godzilla, in which Godzilla swam underneath the USS Saratoga rather than destroy it, indicating he was not by nature malevolent. This time, though, Godzilla doesn't bother to dive a little deeper, caring nothing for the havoc he leaves in his wake. The fighter jets respond by opening fire, to no effect.
16. Godzilla Swats A Fighter Jet Out Of The Sky
The fighter jets may not have been able to hurt Godzilla, but he clearly noticed them, because he takes the time to swat one of them out of the sky using his tail. It's a crucial reminder every inch of Godzilla's body is a weapon, one human beings are ill-equipped to stop. Again, though, this degree of antagonism is uncharacteristic of Godzilla, and frankly more akin to that of the Titans he typically opposes. Godzilla really has gone rogue.
